If only we could transplant Ginnobli's personality into AI. We are actually good enough to be able to play him off the bench. Imagine a team with that weapon against team's 2nd units.

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AI + Stuckey >> Rip + Stuckey

I really don't know where you are coming from with this AI on the bench stuff. Except for the fact it might hurt the Griever's feelings, I can't see why one would pick Rip over AI. It's not even close how much more talent and ability AI has.

I really don't know where you are coming from with this AI on the bench stuff. Except for the fact it might hurt the Griever's feelings, I can't see why one would pick Rip over AI. It's not even close how much more talent and ability AI has.

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The idea would be to keep his minutes up, but allocate them more with non-starters to optimize our overall attack. Rip needs the other starters so that he can run plays and get open. AI doesn't seem to need that, and it might be screwing with his rhythm as he feels awkward in that setup. At the end, since AI will be fully warmed up, then you go with him over Rip.

Either one off the bench would probably scare an opponent and make them design something specifically to counter. Maybe that would get them out of the comfort zone.

Joe believed in the status quo...he thought we were good enough to compete...which we did

Joe did not believe in the status quo any longer...so he made changes......now he sees that the changes are not working out.....he is making more changes and contemplating others.......joe is now insane

If we really do have 3 1st round picks + all this cap space, then I feel OK about this transition. Ignoring my distain for the CB trade and only looking forward, then the best possible chance of winning a ship this year is to gamble on AI. We may be a better team right now with him coming off the bench, but I think it's obvious that we would not be a Championship team this year with that formula. He needs to find a way to get back to his 2002 level... or closer to it, and the rest of the players need to find a way to mesh. Curry has to do a coaching job that Phil Jackson would find challenging.

Odds are slim, but there is still a chance. If we were going to be put in this situation, then it's good to have the entire year to work out the kinks. So far, we have really flushed/ fleshed? out the bench, which was long overdue. We are getting great looks at all the players (minus Ack and Sharpe). We have guys like Stuck, Afflalo, and Amir, who are showing that it's not out of the question to start them. This would have been unheard of in the recent past.

As forumites who have been spoiled by a high level team for many years, we have to get used to not being able to check any games off the schedule ahead of time with W's. Every game is a challenge now.

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Excellent analysis.

Live by the superstar, die by the superstar. It's like a jigsaw puzzle we have to figure out by playoff time, and surely Joe anticipated the AI/Rip potential problem/opportunity before he made the trade. We all just have to hang on for the ride and it could be a really fun season. I've been whining about wanting more bench play for years. Could be MC is the anti-Flip. I'm all for that.

I mean seriously now why would you bring AI here, that kind of talent and desire, and sit him on the pine? That would be insane. Unless all you wanted out of him was his expiring contract which would be a cheap cheap way to treat someone of AI's caliber and would probably earn us league wide disdain. How does not starting AI get you any closer to great playoff performance? Joe Dumars will be a laughingstock if AI sits on the bench and plays minimal minutes just because no one wants to hurt Rip's feelings. Rip can still play alot. He and Tay can share minutes or something, I don't know. I just know it seems doable.

The idea would be to keep his minutes up, but allocate them more with non-starters to optimize our overall attack. Rip needs the other starters so that he can run plays and get open. AI doesn't seem to need that, and it might be screwing with his rhythm as he feels awkward in that setup. At the end, since AI will be fully warmed up, then you go with him over Rip.

Either one off the bench would probably scare an opponent and make them design something specifically to counter. Maybe that would get them out of the comfort zone.

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Pretty much. It's not a knock on AI. Rip can't carry the offense on the second unit. We've all seen what happens when he tries. AI can dominate the ball like he needs/wants to, and he will be able to score at will against other team's benches. I want Rip/AI seperated more, but with AI coming out first b/c his running game compliments the 2nd unit perfectly, and Arron and him have great chemistry. Put a big defensive 2 next to AI and he looks much better. AA can cover the mistakes and actually keep his own man in front of him.

This line-up would create havoc; AI/AA/Amir/other big/Tay

edited to add;

I think having Rip come off the bench would hurt his game more than his feelings. The whole point of inserting Stuck in the SL was to help Rip and the offense flow better.

That would be a pretty good lineup for chaos. Lots of offensive rebounding, fast breaking, and general mayhem.

Could also go Bynum/AI/AA/Amir/Max to go small and still remain tough defensively.

Ahh. So fun to pretend.

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The fact that we actually have that line-up and don't play it makes me want to get Curry a psychologist. Maybe he/she can delve into his past, and find some hidden trauma that makes him obsessed with small players.

Actually, we used something pretty close to this. Stuckey, Afflalo, JMAX, Amir, AI.

Then: Stuckey, Afflalo, JMAX, Amir, Rip

Then: Stuckey, Afflalo, JMAX, Amir, Tay

This was a whole quarter in all, and we did fantastic in that quarter.

Last we seen of it.

So its even worse. Curry has pretty much used this, and can't see any value in it. Now thats pretty darn bad.

Oop, made a correction. Sheed was not in with unit. Rip was for a bit.

Anyway, while on the subject. Amir and JMAX in at center and power forward together seems a bit small of a front line. But its no smaller than Tay and Sheed paired up. If Curry can pair up Tay and Sheed there, he can certainly manage to find situations where Amir and JMAX work.

Actually, we used something pretty close to this. Stuckey, Afflalo, JMAX, Amir, AI.

Then: Stuckey, Afflalo, JMAX, Amir, Rip

Then: Stuckey, Afflalo, JMAX, Amir, Tay

This was a whole quarter in all, and we did fantastic in that quarter.

Last we seen of it.

So its even worse. Curry has pretty much used this, and can't see any value in it. Now thats pretty darn bad.

Oop, made a correction. Sheed was not in with unit. Rip was for a bit.

Anyway, while on the subject. Amir and JMAX in at center and power forward together seems a bit small of a front line. But its no smaller than Tay and Sheed paired up. If Curry can pair up Tay and Sheed there, he can certainly manage to find situations where Amir and JMAX work.

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When they were paired together this IIRC, they were fantastic. They seem to feed off each others energy. I don't have major problems with MC's rotation, but the lack of Amir is absolutely puzzling. I have no idea what happened. He went from playing in the 4th quarter against SAS and being great on the O glass to ??

He's very good at trapping the PNR and getting back to his man, and general on the PNR roll. And that's what we need. MC's lack of use of him and KB when needed is going to cause alot of problems if it continues and that one flaw could end being the flaw that makes the difference in our PO run.

When they were paired together this IIRC, they were fantastic. They seem to feed off each others energy. I don't have major problems with MC's rotation, but the lack of Amir is absolutely puzzling. I have no idea what happened. He went from playing in the 4th quarter against SAS and being great on the O glass to ??

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Mystery of the season so far. Also puzzling is that no ones talking about it. Its like he just vanished.

Seemed liked he was not doing that bad. Made some mistakes but he had some good stretches out there.

Curry said he was going to adjust his rotation a bit starting with Tuesday's game. The end result will be to get a more traditional (read: bigger) lineup on the floor for longer stretches, while still starting a small unit.
He wants to play Rodney Stuckey the entire first quarter, but take Allen Iverson and Tayshaun Prince out sometime in the final four minutes of the first. He would replace Prince with a power forward, probably Jason Maxiell , and Iverson with Arron Afflalo .
Then, to start the second quarter, he would put Iverson back in with Prince and Antonio McDyess .
"We've talked internally with the coaches, and we've got to find ways and find times during the game to get at least one of our bigs other than 'Dyess and Rasheed Wallace in," Curry said. "Hopefully we can play (Prince) at the four (power forward) only in the beginning of the first and third quarters and Amir (Johnson ) or Max."
This version would leave Will Bynum out of the rotation.